Bailiffs raided BYD Dutch offices over JLR copycat claim

Court-ordered bailiffs acting for Jaguar Land Rover raided BYD's Dutch offices in August and seized digital records ahead of a Hague hearing this week on whether the Chinese carmaker's Ti7 SUV infringes Land Rover Defender intellectual property.

Why it matters: The case tests how far European courts will let an incumbent carmaker use evidence-seizure orders against a Chinese rival whose cheaper models are taking UK market share, months before the Ti7's planned UK launch.

Data as of The Guardian report of November 8, 2026, read in full via the estate browser route in this run; it reports the Sunday Times' account of the August raids, and no court finding has been made. Single-source chain, graded accordingly. Both companies declined to comment. Developing item.

Bailiffs acting for Jaguar Land Rover under a court order raided BYD’s offices in Schiedam and Hoofddorp in August and seized digital records, as JLR sought to secure evidence it says may show the Chinese carmaker reverse-engineered technology for its Ti7 SUV. A court in The Hague hears this week whether BYD has a case to answer over claims the seven-seat plug-in hybrid infringes the Land Rover Defender’s intellectual property; no finding has been made, and both companies declined to comment on the proceedings.

The Ti7, on sale in China since September 2025, is due to launch in the UK in January at £47,995, more than £20,000 below the seven-seat Defender 110’s £68,465 starting price. JLR previously won a 2019 case in China stopping Jiangling Motor from selling a copycat vehicle.

Bailiffs raided BYD Dutch offices over JLR copycat claim

Sources